Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs)

MANGAL DAS
M.TECH
VST
SHIV NADAR UNIVERSITY

CopyrightbyJohnWiley&Sons2003

Outline

Why we need IGBT?

Physical operation
Construction and I-V characteristics
SPICE simulation models

CopyrightbyJohnWiley&Sons2003

BJT

*Turn Off time

*Turn on time
small

*Lower conduction losses

*Larger blocking voltage

MOSFET

IGBT
CopyrightbyJohnWiley&Sons2003

Multi-cell Structure of IGBT

IGBT = insulated gate bipolar transistor.
emitter
conductor

contact to source
diffusion

field
oxide

gate
oxide

N+

N+

NN+
P+

N+

N+

gate
width

buffer layer
(not essential)
collector
metallization

gate
conductor
CopyrightbyJohnWiley&Sons2003

Cross-section Of IGBT

Cell structure similar to power MOSFET cell.

P-region at collector end unique feature of IGBT compared to MOSFET.
Punch-through (PT) IGBT - N+ buffer layer present.
Non-punch-through (NPT) IGBT - N+ buffer layer absent.
CopyrightbyJohnWiley&Sons2003

Blocking (Off) State Operation of IGBT

gate
SiO
2
J
3
J

emitter
N

J - Unique feature of IGBT

1

N
P
N+
N
P+

Ls
Driftlayer
Buffer layer

collector
Parasitic thyristor

Buffer layer
(not essential)

Vgs<Vth : No inversion layer created

With N+ buffer layer, junction J 1 has

Depletion layer is created along J2 ,which expands as Vgs
increases.
small breakdownvoltage and thus IGBT
In NON PUNCH THROUGH no buffer layer is present so large reverse voltage
has little reverse blocking capability blocking capacity.
anti-symmetric IGBT

In PUNCH THROUGH buffer layer is present shorter drift region, which lower
Buffer layer speeds up device turn-off
on-state losses but reverse voltage blocking capacity will be low.

CopyrightbyJohnWiley&Sons2003

IGBT On-state Operation

gate
emitter
N

P
lateral (spreading)
resistance

N
+

N-

P+

collector

Vgs>Vth , Channel is shorting Body-Drain-Drift regions.

P+ inject holes in to N+ region
Holes moves towards body region along a random path .
Many holes will attracted by emitter metallization.
Some holes recombines with electrons.

CopyrightbyJohnWiley&Sons2003

Approximate Equivalent Circuits for IGBTs

drift region
resistance

gate

V
drift

J1

I R
C channel

Approximate equivalent circuit for

IGBT valid for normal operating
conditions.

Conduction path resulting

in thyristor turn-on (IGBT
latchup) if current in this
path is too large

gate

Principal
(desired)
path of
collector
current

V CE(on) = VJ 1 + V drift + IC Rchannel

CopyrightbyJohnWiley&Sons2003

collector

Body region
spreading
resistance

emitter

IGBT equivalent circuit showing

transistors comprising the parasitic
thyristor.
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IGBT I-V Characteristics and Circuit Symbols

i

increasing V

GE

v
GE4

No Buffer Layer
v GE3

VRM BV
CES

With Buffer Layer

v GE1

V 0
RM
V

V
GE(th)

GE2

v
CE

RM

Outputcharacteristics
Vth

GE

Transfercurve

BV
CES

collector

drain

NchannelIGBTcircuitsymbols

gate

gate

source

emitter
CopyrightbyJohnWiley&Sons2003

Development of Spice IGBT Model

Nonlinear capacitors Cdsj and Ccer due to N-P junction depletion layer.

Reference - "An
Experimentally Verified
Nonlinear capacitor Cebj + Cebd due to P+N+ junction
IGBT Model
Implemented in the
MOSFET and PNP BJT are intrinsic (no parasitics) devices
SABER Circuit
Simulator", Allen R.
Nonlinear resistor Rb due to conductivity modulation of N - drain drift region of
Hefner, Jr. and Daniel
MOSFET portion.
M. Diebolt, IEEE Trans.
on Power Electronics,
Nonlinear capacitor Cgdj due to depletion region of drain-body junction (N -P junction). Vol. 9, No. 5, pp. 532542, (Sept., 1994)
Circuit model assumes that latchup does not occur and parasitic thyristor does not turn.
CopyrightbyJohnWiley&Sons2003

10

Parameter Estimation for Spice IGBT Model

Built-in IGBT model requires nine parameter values.
Parameters described in Help files of Parts utility program.

Parts utility program guides users through parameter estimation process.

IGBT specification sheets provided by manufacturer provide sufficient
informaiton for general purpose simulations.
Detailed accurate simulations, for example device dissipation studies, may
require the user to carefully characterize the selected IGBTs.
Drain

Cgdj
Coxd
Gate

Cebj +
Cebd
Ccer

Rb
Cdsj

Built-in
model does not model
ultrafast IGBTs with buffer
layers
(punch-through IGBTs) or
reverse
free-wheeling diodes.

Cm +
Coxs
Source
CopyrightbyJohnWiley&Sons2003

11

Application

Current rating of single IGBT can be up to 1200 volts,400Amps.

Frequency of operation:20Khz.

It is useful for medium power applications

Ac and DC motor drives.
Solid state relays

High frequency signal choppers.(not preferred)

CopyrightbyJohnWiley&Sons2003

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THANK YOU

CopyrightbyJohnWiley&Sons2003

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